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y two unaccented; as, L. tëgmînê, E. mer"ciful; -- so called from the similarity of its arrangement to that of the joints of a finger. [Written also dactyle.]

Post; mail; also, the mail or postal arrangements; -- spelt also dawk, and dauk. [India] Dak boat, a mail boat. Percy Smith. -- Dak bungalow, a traveler's rest-house at the and of a dak stage. -- To travel by dak, to travel by relays of palanquines or other carriage, as fast as the post along a road.…

winging or jerking motion. he'd rather on a gibbet dangle Than miss his dear delight, to wrangle. Hudibras. From her lifted hand Dangled a length of ribbon. Tennyson. To dangle about or after, to hang upon importunately; to court the favor of; to beset. The Presbyterians, and other fanatics that dangle after them, are…

instead of bulbs. The common species have long narrow leaves and either yellow or tawny-orange flowers.

to Latin dis- apart, away; or sometimes to de. Cf. Dis-. It is negative and opposite in derange, deform, destroy, etc. It is intensive in deprave, despoil, declare, desolate, etc.

An arrangement to attain a desired result by a combination of interested parties; -- applied to stock speculations and political bargains. [Slang]

To speak rhetorically; to make a formal speech or oration; to harangue; specifically, to recite a speech, poem, etc., in public as a rhetorical exercise; to practice public speaking; as, the students declaim twice a week.

One who declaims; an haranguer.

The act or art of declaiming; rhetorical delivery; haranguing; loud speaking in public; especially, the public recitation of speeches as an exercise in schools and colleges; as, the practice declamation by students. The public listened with little emotion, but with much civility, to five acts of monotonous declamation.…

circle parallel to the celestial equator. -- Declination compass (Physics), a compass arranged for finding the declination of the magnetic needle. -- Declination of the compass or needle, the horizontal angle which the magnetic needle makes with the true north-and-south line.

Profoundly book-learned. "Great writers and deep-read men." L'Estrange.

Disfigurement; deformity. [Obs.] "Strange defeatures in my face." Shak.

to the protection of the interior from exposure to an enemy's fire from any point within range, or from any works which may be erected. Farrow.

anted thee a noble vine . . . : how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me Jer. ii. 21.

lowering; dejection. "Demission of mind." Hammond. Demission of sovereign authority. L'Estrange.

A cat lay, and looked so demure, as if there had been neither life nor soul in her. L'Estrange. Miss Lizzy, I have no doubt, would be as demure and coquettish, as if ten winters more had gone over her head. Miss Mitford.

A small square block or projection in cornices, a number of which are ranged in an ornamental band; -- used particularly in the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders.

A store keeping a great variety of goods which are arranged in several departments, esp. one with dry goods as the principal stock.

series in which each term is numerically smaller than the preceding one; also, a series arranged according to descending powers of a quantity.

used to distinguish themselves by devices on their shields. Addison. A banner with this strange device -Excelsior. Longfellow.